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Thursday, October 20, 2011

The 1st Annual Mikey Awards

I had the great fortune of being a part of NYMF 2011 as a floater. Now there were 30 full productions, and I was only able to see 11 while I was working. So the Mikey's are for those 11 that I saw. To the 19 I missed, I apologize, but don't fret, these are just silly and unofficial! These accolades are just a way for me to congratulate some wonderful performances! Just a reminder, these are the opinions of this blogger, and this blogger only.

Honorable Mentions- Central Avenue Breakdown, Fucking Hipsters, OutlawsThe Brain That Wouldn’t Die in 3-D is by far the most complete production this year. And it also happens to be a blast. The campy B-film inspired comedy is hilarious from start to finish. The brilliant cast delivers the witty book and catchy score with flair. The musical is an instant cult classic.

Outstanding Actor- Rodrick Covington (Central Avenue Breakdown)Honorable Mentions- Corey Boardman (Outlaws), Doug Carpenter (Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice), Brandon Wardell (Fucking Hipsters)Rodrick Covington’s Jim Marcel may not have been the favorite son, but he sure gave the best performance on the Central Avenue Breakdown stage. Covington played with just the right amount of comedy that balanced out the sincerity. Through all his downfalls, you wanted to root for him to overcome his demons. To have an audience sit stunned in silence after your death speaks wonders for your performance

Honorable Mentions- Mary Mossberg (Greenwood), Heather Robb (Fucking Hipsters), Kathy Voytko (The Brain That Wouldn’t Die in 3-D)The title character got the final bow, but it was Patricia Noonan’s flawless performance that made Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice a hit. Noonan is THE star of the future. She has a presence on stage that is unmatchable. Her voice was able to tackle the tricky score with ease. You wanted to love Noonan’s Elizabeth no matter how stubborn she may have been. I’ll say it over and over again, Patricia Noonan will be a household name very soon.

Outstanding Supporting Actor- Andrew Redlawsk (Greenwood)Honorable Mentions- Louis Butelli (Cyclops), Matt Leisy (Ghostlight), Brian Charles Rooney (The Brain That Wouldn’t Die in 3-D)With a musical featuring a cast of 22 characters, it may seem hard to stand out but Andrew Redlawsk did and with great force. With a fantastic voice and authentic personality, Redlawsk played Alex with charm like the star he will be. Look out for him!

Outstanding Supporting Actress- Nicole Powell (Central Avenue Breakdown)Honorable Mentions- Brittney Lee Hamilton (My History of Marriage), Melissa Joyner (Jack Perry is Alive and Dating), Isabel Santiago (Outlaws)Nicole Powell played the Marcel matriarch with conviction and emotion that broke hearts. Her show stopping number “You Make It So Hard” was beautiful and one of the best moments of the show. Powell never wasted a moment on stage.

In real life, hipsters are a pretty unusual group of specimens, so naturally mocking the already mocked can be pretty outrageous. The ensemble of Fucking Hipsters did a supurb job playing up the joke but keeping it real. The members of the fictional band Mark Twain’s Moustache, Brandon Wardell, Heather Robb, Luke Smith, and Kyle Lamar Mitchell, gave phenomenal performances. The rest of the ensemble Jennifer Bowles, F. Michael Haynie, Jeff Tuohy, and rounded out by Emily Borromeo as Josie, also did a fine job creating the hipster world. It was watching their cohesiveness as an ensemble, playing off of each other, that made the show lovable and successful. Unsung Hero Award- Travis McClung (Outlaws)

The Unsung Hero Award is an honor I will bestow to a supporting player who displays a performance that is worthy of the limelight. This award goes to someone who I’m positive will be a star in the future. Outlaws was a show that thrived on having a cohesive ensemble, but it was Travis McClung who gave an outstanding breakthrough performance. His character may have been understated, but his performance was not. He has a wonderful voice that was able to rock and be sentimental.

Band Geek Award-Cyclops

This special award goes to a group of performers who not only acted their asses off performance after performance, but they rocked out on stage serving as their in house band. The Satyrs, as they called themselves, played their characters even as they played their instruments. It’s not an easy task, but they deserve recognition for their deed.

And there you have it! The 1st Annual Mikey Awards! Congrats to all for all their hard work. Til next time! Stay classy!